1. What is the condition?
As communicated this past fall, the defect is the potential for an unsecured or incompatible driver’s floor mat to interfere with the accelerator pedal and cause it to get stuck in the wide-open position. A stuck-open accelerator pedal may result in very high vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop the vehicle, which could cause a crash, serious injury or death. Lexus has determined that this defect does not exist in vehicles in which the driver’s side floor mat is compatible with the vehicle and properly installed and secured.
2. What should I do if I experience accelerator pedal interference?
Should your Lexus continue to accelerate rapidly after you have released the accelerator pedal, this could be an indication of floor mat interference. If this occurs, Lexus recommends that you take the following actions:
• First, if it is possible and safe to do so, pull back the floor mat and dislodge it from the accelerator pedal; then pull over and stop the vehicle.
• If the floor mat cannot be dislodged, firmly and steadily step on the brake pedal with both feet. Do not pump the brake pedal repeatedly as this will increase the effort required to slow the vehicle.
• Shift the transmission gear selector to the Neutral (N) position and use the brakes to make a controlled stop at the side of the road and turn off the engine.
• If unable to put the vehicle in Neutral (N), turn the engine OFF. This will not cause loss of steering or braking control, but the power assist to these systems will be lost.
• If the vehicle is equipped with an Engine Start/Stop button, firmly and steadily push the button for at least three seconds to turn off the engine. Do NOT tap the Engine Start/Stop button.
3. What is Lexus going to do?
To make it less likely that an unsecured or incompatible driver’s floor mat can interfere with the accelerator pedal, any Lexus dealer will remedy the affected vehicle. The remedy will entail discreet modification to both the accelerator pedal and the floor surface in the driver’s foot-well. Completion of this remedy will be recorded on the vehicle’s service records, as well as noted by the placement of a sticker reading “9LG” on the driver’s door jamb.
If the vehicle is equipped with a set of optional genuine Lexus All Weather Floor Mats (AWFM), it will be inspected to determine if the AWFM set is of an older design. If it is, the older design AWFMs for the driver and front seat passenger will be replaced with a newly designed product. Independent of the vehicle-based recall remedy, Lexus will install a newly designed override system onto the vehicle to provide an extra measure of confidence. This system will cut engine power in case of simultaneous application of both accelerator and brake pedals at certain speeds and driving conditions.
4. Will I receive a loaner vehicle during the vehicle remedy process?
Johnson Lexus will make every effort to minimize inconvenience during the your appointment. This includes providing a complimentary loaner vehicle.
5. What will the modified accelerator pedal look like?
The accelerator pedal will be modified to slightly decrease the overall foot-pad and pedal arm length. Johnson Lexus will be more than happy to go over the entire repair with you. We ask that you make an appointment as soon as possible.
6. When will newly designed accelerator pedals become incorporated in vehicle production?ES 350 vehicle production will begin utilizing the newly designed accelerator pedal in late January 2010.
7. Can you provide me with additional information regarding the override system?
Independent of the vehicle-based recall remedy, Lexus will install a newly designed override system to provide an extra measure of confidence. This system will cut engine power in case of simultaneous application of both the accelerator and the brake pedals at certain speeds and driving conditions.
8. Are there any warnings that accelerator pedal entrapment will occur?
Lexus’ investigation has determined that the pedal interference can only occur in vehicles where the driver side floor mat is not compatible with the vehicle and/or not properly installed or secured. To help reduce the risk of incorrect floor mat installation, we request that guests take out any removable driver’s side floor mat and NOT replace it with any other floor mat until the accelerator pedal modification has been completed on their vehicle by Johnson Lexus or another certified Lexus dealer. After the campaign remedy has been completed, only floor mats designed specifically for your Lexus model and that are properly installed and secured should be used on the driver’s side floor.
9. What if I would like to verify the installation and applicability of the floor mats currently installed in my vehicle?
Please come to Johnson Lexus’ service or parts department to verify whether the Lexus floor mats are properly installed and compatible with the model of your Lexus. The driver’s side floor mat should be removed before driving to the dealership.
10. What if a floor mat is an aftermarket rubberized floor mat?
Driver’s side floor mat interference is possible if the mat is incompatible or incorrectly installed. Therefore, guests need to make sure the floor mats are compatible for their model and model year. Also, they need to be sure that they are properly secured using the appropriate retention device (clips). Driver side floor mats should never be stacked. Guests should never place any floor mat—aftermarket or not—on top of another driver’s side floor mat. Floor mats should also not be flipped over with the bottom side up.
11. What if I have other questions?
You can call Lexus Customer Assistance Center (1-800-255-3987) 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern Standard Time or Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. You may also visit http://www.lexus.com/floormats for additional information.
